Transparent film dressings are widely used as protective layers over wounds because they facilitate healing in a moist environment while acting as a barrier to contaminating liquids and bacteria. The films are also used as surgical drapes because of their barrier properties. Dressings and drapes fitting the above description are available under a number of trade names such as TEGADERM™ (3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.), BIOCLUSIVE™ (Johnson & Johnson Company, New Brunswick, N.J.), and OP-SITE™ (T. J. Smith & Nephew, Hull, England).
The polymeric films used in those dressings and drapes, referred to as dressings below, are conformable, i.e., the films are extremely thin, flexible and supple. They are typically supplied with a releasable protective liner covering the adhesive coated surface of the film. When the liner is removed, the adhesive coated film tends to wrinkle and adhere to itself, interfering with the smooth, aseptic application of the dressing to a patient's skin. Various delivery systems have been proposed to address this problem such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,809; U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,001; and EPO Publication No. 0 051 935.
Carrier-type delivery systems such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,682 offer an alternative delivery system for use with conformable thin films. The use of a removable carrier, which does not require tearing of the film after it has been placed on the patient, avoids the problems described above. The carrier also aids in accurate placement of the dressing on a patient.
OPSITE FLEXIFIX is a composite dressing provided in roll good form with a clear carrier and linear cut separation line along its length. To remove the carrier, the composite dressing must be stretched to reveal and allow the user to grasp the center portion of the carrier.
Therefore, additional carrier systems that provides ease-of-use and facilitate removal of the carrier during application of the dressing are still needed.